Finally Healed
by Usami
Summary: /rated for slight child abuse/ Yugi knows with his grandfather gone, he couldn't stay by himself. They wouldn't let him. So someone comes and offers to take care of him. But can Yugi really trust him?


**Finally Healed**

A strange feeling came over Yugi, causing him to stop what he was doing. 'There it is again,' he thought. 'It's weird. I've had this feeling before, always around this time, but it's stronger now. What could it be?'

"Yug? Earth to Yugi. Come in Yugi." The sound of his friend's voice brought him back to reality. "Dude," Jounouchi said, "it's your move."

"Sorry, Jounouchi," the younger boy said, placing a card down, "I was just a bit distracted, that's all."

"Though not so distracted that you still couldn't beat Jounouchi," Honda said, surveying both cards. "He beat you again, man."

The sandy-haired boy sighed. "Yeah, so what's new?"

"Maybe you should just stop playing Yugi," Anzu suggested. "You know you can never win against him."

"Maybe so," Jounouchi said, holding up a proud fist, "but it couldn't hurt. I mean, I'm gonna try my hardest to beat him, and even if I lose, that doesn't matter. As long as I keep practicing, right?"

"Yeah," the brown-haired boy teased, "but that's gonna take a lot of practice." Jounouchi glared at him.

"At least I'm better than you," he retorted.

"No way. I could beat you anytime, anywhere."

"Yeah? Right here, right now."

They both stared at each, a competitive spark in each of their eyes. Anzu laughed at them.

"I swear, you boys are so full of yourselves," she said. "Give it up, you two. The bell would already have rung before you finish your duel. Lunch is almost over."

Honda looked at the clock at the front of the room. "I've got just enough time to whip Jounouchi."

"I believe you mean I've got enough time to whip you, right Honda?"

Bakura looked at the small teen as Honda and Jounouchi started to argue. Yugi seemed so distant at the moment, like his mind was elsewhere. The expression as his face wasn't a happy one, either.

"Everything all right, Yugi?" the snow-haired boy asked his friend. Yugi looked up at him.

"Huh?" he asked. "Oh. Yeah, everything is fine."

"You don't look so well."

"I'm fine, Bakura. Really. I...just have this strange feeling."

The two teens stopped bickering. "Strange feeling?" Jounouchi asked. "Like what?"

The boy shrugged. "I don't really know how to explain it. I just feel...like something's wrong."

"What would be wrong now?" Anzu asked.

"I don't know. I've had this feeling before, though. For the past few days, it's always come around this time."

"But nothing bad's happened so far, right?" Honda asked.

Yugi shook his head. "Not yet," he said, "but the feeling is so strong today. I don't know what it is. It's really worrying me."

The bell echoed in the room, ending the students' brief freedom from classes. They teenagers sat in their seats, as the teacher walked in and prepared for class.

'Yami?' Yugi called to the being within the Millennium Puzzle.

_**Yes, Hikari?**_ the spirit answered.

'You know about this weird suspicion I've been having, don't you?'

_**Yes, I'm aware of it. I also have been sensing it.**_

'What do you think it means?'

_**I'm not sure. I don't really understand it either.**_

'Do you think something is going to happen?'

_**I don't know, Yugi. I just don't know.**_

* * *

Walking home, Yugi noticed the strange feeling seemed to increase with each step. 'What's going on?' He couldn't help but wonder. 'It's so strange. Something bad is gonna happen. I just know it. But what?'

It bothered him. The strange sensation was never this strong before. It scared him to his very core. He wasn't sure what to think, what to expect. The small boy knew it was something bad, but he didn't know who it would affect, or what would happen.

Yami worried about his younger counterpart. This feeling of dread was the only thing he could concentrate on since he first felt it that one lunch period sometime ago. They both always sensed it at the same time each day, even when they weren't in school. Yami knew that meant the event wasn't anything school-related, but that was all. What could the feeling mean? What was going to happen?

Yugi sighed, vainly pushing his blond bangs out of his eyes. As he neared the Turtle Game Shop, he noticed the curtain covering the glass part of the door. 'That's odd,' he thought. 'Grandpa never leaves the curtain down during business hours.' He opened the door, a ringing sound resonating through the small shop.

"Grandpa!" Yugi called. "I'm home!" There was no answer from within. All was still.

Closing the door behind him, the small boy walked around the counter, wondering why his grandfather wasn't standing behind the counter as he always does. It was strange.

He walked into the den, no sign of his grandfather there. Running up the stairs, he placed his backpack in his room, hunting around for Sugoroku. Seeing no one in the upper level, the young teen decided to check the kitchen. As he descended, there was a loud groan from below. Recognizing it as his grandfather's voice, he entered the kitchen, the sight before him causing him to freeze in his tracks.

"Grandpa!"

* * *

A loud, wailing sound jarred Jounouchi from the task before him. "Sirens?" he wondered. He went to the window of his bedroom, opening the shutters. An ambulance zoomed by, the siren warning other cars to move, the lights flaring rapidly.

"Huh," he said, "must be an emergency. I've never seen an ambulance move that fast before."

He returned to his desk, trying to concentrate on his homework. "When is this stuff ever gonna be useful?" he asked nobody. Tapping his pencil on the book, he found his mind wandering to different things, anything other than his homework. "This stuff is boring," he concluded, jotting down something before slamming the book shut. He tossed it to his bed. "I'm done."

He tilted his chair back, folding his hands behind his head. Staring up at the ceiling, he wondered what he would do with himself until dinner. "I could go to the arcade. Of course, it's no fun without someone to beat and make fun of. Maybe I'll call Honda."

The phone rang. Startled, he pushed the chair back, causing it to topple over completely. "Ouch..." He picked himself off the floor, rubbing his head. "That smarts." The phone rang again. He picked up the receiver, holding it to his ear.

"Hello?" he said.

"Jounouchi? This is Yugi." There was something different about his friend's tone of voice that Jounouchi didn't like. It wasn't angry-sounding, but it wasn't the boy's usual...perky attitude.

"Hey, Yug, what's up?"

"Do you remember at lunch, when I told you guys about that strange feeling I had?"

Jounouchi felt as if his heart skipped a beat. "Yeah, what about it?"

"I think I found out what it was." A small sound escaped from the younger one's throat.

"What happened?" the sandy-haired teen asked, worried.

"When I got home today, I found Grandpa...he was..."

"Was what, Yugi?"

"He was on the floor, unconscious."

"What happened? Do you know?"

"They said that he had a heart attack, and he had been like that for a few hours. How long, they don't know, but I think that the feeling I had is somehow tied to this. I just wish I could have figured it out sooner."

Jounouchi heard a sob on the other end. 'Poor Yugi,' he thought. "Where are you now?"

"At the hospital. The ambulance let me ride with them as they took Grandpa here."

'The ambulance that just passed by,' Jounouchi remembered. 'Could that have been the one with Yugi and his grandpa?' "And what? Is he going to be okay?"

"I don't know. They said they're going to try their best to help them, but aren't sure if they can do anything. He had been like that quite a while, and they doubt that..."

"Don't start thinking like that, Yug. Listen, it's bad enough that happened to your grandfather, but you shouldn't have to worry about it alone. How about if I go over there and wait with you? You sound like you need some comfort right now."

"Really? That would be great. This whole thing has gotten me really shaken up."

"It's no problem. I'll be there as soon as I can, okay?"

"Okay. Thanks, Jounouchi."

"Right. See ya later." He gently placed the receiver back in its cradle. Running was the only way he would get there, but the hospital was pretty far off. 'But I told Yugi I'd be there,' he thought. 'And I'm gonna be there for him.'

He grabbed the key to his apartment and stuffed it in his jean pocket, heading out the door.

* * *

Jounouchi ran inside the elevator and hit a button. The door closed, and he could feel it move upwards. He leaned on the side of the elevator, his heavy breathing the only sound besides the ding of the elevator as it reached a new level. He wiped his forehead with the back of his hand, a bit of sweat trickling down his face. It was really warm outside, and he had run all the way to the hospital. He felt tired, but at the moment he could rest until he reached the floor he needed to be at.

He found out at the receptionist what floor they had taken Sugoroku, and he figured Yugi would be waiting there. 'Wonder how Yugi's holding out.' This whole thing was creeping him out too, but probably not as much as Yugi. The elevator finally reached the floor he wanted, and the doors opened. He exited, and searched around for his young friend.

After searching for a little bit, he found Yugi sitting in a chair at the end of a corridor. Hunched over, the boy's chin rested on his knuckles, a frown was formed at his mouth. His violet eyes held no emotion, but his brow was creased with worry. Jounouchi wasn't sure what to think about it.

He sat down next to companion. If the small boy saw Jounouchi, he showed no recognition of it. He continued to stare out in front of him, not really seeing anything.

After a while of silence, except for the commotion caused by the doctors going about their own way, Yugi sighed, covering his face with his hands. He mumbled something incoherently, then combed his fingers through his tricolor hair. "Thanks for being here, Jounouchi," he said.

"Like I said," the sandy-haired teen replied, "it's no problem. I just wish I could have been here sooner."

"I'm sure you tried your best."

"Yeah, I ran all the way here."

Yugi looked at his friend. "You ran all the way here?"

"Yeah, how else was I supposed to get here? If you don't know this, I'm not old enough to drive yet." He was hoping he could get Yugi to crack a smile, but the younger boy just looked down at the floor. Jounouchi sighed, placing his hand on his friend's shoulder. "Listen, Yugi, it's gonna be okay."

Tears formed in the small teen's eyes as he shook his head. "No," he said solemnly, "nothing's going to be okay anymore."

"What are you saying?"

"They got to him too late, Jounouchi. They just couldn't help him in time."

"Are you saying that your grandpa is...?"

He nodded. "Gone. Grandpa's dead."

"I'm...so sorry, Yugi." Jounouchi cursed himself for having nothing better to say.

"I just can't help but feel responsible somehow."

"How would you be responsible?"

The small boy clenched his hands into tight fists. "Those strange feelings I've been having for the last few days, those were warnings of what was going to happen. That's why they occurred at the same time everyday. They were trying to tell me about what would happen today. Today's feeling was so strong because it actually happened. That's why it didn't go away right after lunch like the others did. I had felt, somehow, what was going to happen to Grandpa, but I haven't been able to figure it out until now."

A tear ran down his cheek. "If only I had been able to figure it out sooner, then maybe we could have saved Grandpa in time."

"It's not your fault, Yug," Jounouchi said. "You shouldn't blame yourself for something like this. You didn't know."

"Maybe, but I don't know what's going to happen from here. I don't know what I'm going to do."

"What's going to happen? Did your grandpa leave a will, or something?"

"Yeah. I had a chance to talk to Grandpa before he passed on, and he told me where he left the will. But that's not what I'm talking about, Jounouchi. I'm talking about what's going to happen to me."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm not old enough to live on my own. Without a legal guardian, I might have to go to an orphanage or something."

"An orphanage? But the only orphanage for miles is really far away from Domino City."

"I know."

The realization hit Jounouchi. "So," the sandy-haired teen said, "that would mean that..."

"That if I have to go there, I might not be able to see any of you guys again."

"Isn't there anything you can do, Yugi?"

The small boy shook his head. "Nothing," he said. "That's just the way it works." Yugi rubbed his temples. "I don't know what to do, Jounouchi. I just don't know what to do."

Jounouchi rubbed his friend's back soothingly, trying to comfort him. "Don't worry, Yugi. I'm here for you. You'll see, everything will work out."

* * *

Yami wiped the kitchen counter with a wet rag. Afterwards, he rinsed it out in the sink, dropping it. Wiping his hands on the hand towel on his shoulder, he walked up the stairs to Yugi's room. He knocked on the door.

"Yugi?" he said. There was no answer. The spirit sighed. Ever since Sugoroku's death, Yugi had locked himself in his room, never coming out. Yami couldn't really blame the young one, seeing as his only family member was gone now, but he couldn't mope around all the time. He had missed a few days of school already. Yami wasn't afraid of him falling behind, but the teachers could get suspicious.

There was a knock on the door downstairs. Yami went down, passing through the counter area. The curtain was still down, seeing that the shop hadn't been opened since Sugoroku's death. He left the curtain down just in case people passed by, and mistaken him for his little counterpart.

Moving the flap just enough to see who it was, he opened the door for Jounouchi to come in. "Hi, Jounouchi," Yami said.

"Hey, Yami," he responded, shutting the door after him. "Yugi still in his room?"

"I'm afraid so. He refuses to come out."

"I don't really blame him. This whole thing has been really hard on him."

"I understand that, but I'm worried about him. He hardly eats anything, and I'm afraid he's making himself sick."

Jounouchi nodded. "Give him some time," he said, "Yug's got a lot on his mind right now."

Yami nodded. "Yes...but I don't know what to do with him anymore. I understand him being upset about Grandfather's death, but there seems to be more bothering him than just that."

They both walked into the den, and Jounouchi sat on the couch opposite Yami. "Oh, there's more than that bothering him," Jounouchi said, "a lot more."

"Really? Like what?"

"You don't know?" The spirit shook his head. "Without a legal guardian, Yugi has to go somewhere where he'll be taken care of. Like an orphanage or something. But the only orphanage that I know of is far away from here, and I mean really far away. If someone around here knows that Yugi's grandpa is gone, they would have to send him there."

"But if they were to do that," Yami said thoughtfully, "then he would have to move away from here."

"Exactly, and he'd be living there until he was at least eighteen. Even if someone were to adopt him, it wouldn't be anyone from Domino City, because it's too far to drive there. So who knows how long it would be before we ever see Yugi again?"

Yami folded his hands across his chest. "And there's nothing we can do about it, right?" he asked.

"Not a thing," Jounouchi agreed, "unless someone in Domino City would adopt Yugi, which I doubt, since people don't usually want an extra mouth to feed these days. But think about it for a second, Yami. His grandfather and his friends are his whole world. We mean as much to him as he means to us. He lost his grandfather, and look at him now. What would happen if his friends were taken away from him, too?"

Yami knew. Yugi just couldn't take that happening. He couldn't bear that fact. He would rather die than be taken away from the only people he cared for, besides his grandfather. But without a legal guardian, how could they prevent it?

Jounouchi and Yami had no idea about Yugi's presence among them until he entered the room, surprising them. His eyes were bloodshot from crying, and his once cheerful face was shrouded with misery. He didn't look as though he had gotten much sleep, and his tiny frame had thinned a little.

"Yugi?" Jounouchi asked. The boy looked up at him, as if snapping out of a trance.

"Jounouchi," he said, almost weakly. He took a step forward, but passed out. Yami caught the small boy before he hit the ground.

"He's worse than I thought," Yami said, more to himself than Jounouchi. Jounouchi cradled the small boy in his arms, taking him back upstairs to his room, followed by Yami. The sandy-haired teen gently laid Yugi down on his bed, and Yami covered his frail body with the sheets.

"We're all worried about him back in school," Jounouchi whispered. "Only Honda, Anzu, and Bakura know why Yugi's not in school, besides me. We're afraid that if we tell anyone else, a teacher will find out and he'll be taken away."

"But you can't hide it forever, can you?" Yami asked. "People at the hospital know that Grandfather passed away, and it will only be a matter of time before other people find out."

Jounouchi crossed his arms. "The night his grandpa died, I told Yugi everything would be all right. But now, even I'm unsure of that."

"I'm sure everything will be fine," Yami reassured him. He followed Jounouchi out of the bedroom. Taking one last look at his sleeping associate, he closed the door behind him.

* * *

A loud knocking from downstairs broke through Yugi's sleep. He moaned, rubbing his eyes. The knocking continued, paused, then continued again. The small boy looked at his clock. 'It's too early to be woken up at this time on a Saturday,' he complained to himself. He rolled on his side, facing the wall.

He felt something burn inside his heart. Tears sprung up in his eyes again, but he forced them back. 'Grandpa, I miss you so much. Why did you have to go? I don't know what's going to happen now. I'm kinda scared'.

The knocking persisted. Sighing, Yugi tossed the sheets aside and got out of bed. Thinking Yami went out or something, he knew he had to see who it was, since they wouldn't take a hint and go away.

'I don't remember anything that happened yesterday,' he thought, rubbing his head as he continued down the stairs. 'I think I came down here, and I think Jounouchi was here, but I don't know what happened after that. Maybe it was just a dream?'

He entered the counter area and pulled the flap away to see who was there. A man stood there, wearing a blue t-shirt and black pants. A hat covered his head, and upon seeing the young boy, he stopped knocking.

Yugi opened the door wide enough to poke his head out. "I'm sorry, sir," he said politely, "but we're closed."

The man nodded. "I know," he said, his voice soft, "but I'm not here to buy anything. I'm here to talk to you. Mind if I come in?"

Surprised, Yugi opened the door to let the stranger inside. Shutting it after him, the small boy watched as the mysterious person examined the shop.

"Hasn't changed a bit," Yugi heard the stranger mutter to himself. "Not at all."

The stranger looked at Yugi, who stood by the door. "I heard about your grandfather, Yugi," he said to the boy, "and I'm really sorry."

"How do you know my name?" the young teen asked. "And about Grandpa's death?"

"I have a friend in the hospital, which was helping your grandfather. And she told me about you."

The man examined Yugi a bit, making him feel a little uncomfortable. He didn't like it when people stared at him like that.

"It's been a long time, Yugi," the stranger said suddenly, "a real long time."

"Huh?" the boy asked. "What do you mean?"

"It's been a so long since I last saw you."

"When was that?"

The stranger was silent. He bent down, peering at the young one's eyes. "You have your mother's eyes, Yugi." He held out his hand. "I suppose I should introduce myself. My name is Mutou Kenya."

"What?" Yugi asked, surprised. "But that's the name of my..."

"Father." Kenya took off his hat, revealing his wild, black hair. Strands of blond, lightning-style bangs fell into his blue eyes.

"But I don't understand. Grandpa said that my father died a long time ago."

Kenya stood up, crossing his arms. "He said that? I guess I shouldn't be surprised. Dad never did forgive me for what I did."

Yugi didn't know whether believe this man or not. He knew nothing about him. But Kenya strongly resembled his grandfather, and the small teen was a little curious.

"Why?" he asked. "What did you do that Grandpa never forgave you for?"

"How much do you know about your mother, Yugi?"

"Mother? Not much. Grandpa told me that she died after giving birth to me."

"Well, Dad didn't lie about that one. A year after we were married, she was pregnant with you, and we both had all these things planned out for you.

"But she went into labor earlier than expected. After some difficulty, you were born, but she wasn't able to make it. She died that night in the hospital. Don't look that way, Yugi, it wasn't your fault. She wasn't a very strong person, really.

"I was so distraught over losing your mother, I couldn't take it. I left you with your grandfather, telling him I would be back after I had some time to recover from the damage. But days turned into weeks, then into months, and then years. Your grandfather kept asking me when I would come back for you, but after awhile, we stopped talking, because he was angry at me for abandoning you."

There was a rattle from the doorknob, and the door slowly opened. Thinking that Yami was coming back, Yugi grabbed the door. "I...have to think about this for a while," the small boy lied, and hastily went outside.

"Hikari?" Yami asked. Yugi looked up at him, almost not recognizing him with the baseball cap on. He would have thought of it funny if he wasn't a little confused.

"Hi," was all the young boy could think of to say. "Listen, do you think you could go through the back?"

"The back? Why?"

"There's this guy here who says he's my father."

Yami nearly dropped the bags he was carrying. "Father? But isn't he dead?"

"That's what Grandpa used to tell me, but he said they just stopped talking to each other because Grandpa got really mad at him."

"Why would he get angry at his own son?"

"Something about Dad abandoning me," Yugi said, waving his hand. "In any case, he can't see you. You'll have to go through the back, and then up to my room, okay?"

Yami nodded, then walked around to the other end of the shop. Yugi went back inside.

Kenya looked at the boy as he reentered. "So, if you've been gone all this time," Yugi said, shutting the door, "why did you decide to come back now?"

"With Dad gone, you were living all by yourself," Kenya answered. "But without a parent or legal guardian, they could have come and taken you away any time they wanted to."

"They knew I was on my own?"

"The Turtle Game Shop may not be very big, but people around here knew Dad pretty well. A lot of people know you, too. When they heard about Dad's death, they knew that you were living by yourself."

"So what stopped them from sending me to an orphanage?"

"I had the legal papers for you, and now that you're under my care, they couldn't do anything about it."

Yugi wasn't sure if he liked the sound of that. He wanted to get to know his father and all, and it was nice being able to stay in Domino, there was something about his father he didn't trust. He just didn't know what it was.

* * *

Jounouchi sat down at his usual desk, waiting for class to start. Ruffling his hair, he failed in the attempt to wake himself up. He yawned loudly as Honda came over.

"You look tired," Honda commented. "I mean, more so than usual."

"That's just what I need," the sandy-haired teen retorted. "I was up late last night trying to finish the stupid homework."

"That's what you get for putting it off," Anzu said from behind the both of them, startling them.

"Where do you come from?" Honda asked, clutching his heart. She stuck her tongue at him.

Bakura entered the room, placing his backpack on his desk, and then joined the other three. "Good morning," he said.

Jounouchi yawned again. "No morning is a good morning," he said lazily.

"Have any of you heard from Yugi at all?" the snow-haired teen wondered

They all shook their heads. "The last time I saw him was last Friday," Jounouchi said. "I didn't get a chance to talk to him, but he didn't look or feel well at all."

"Can you blame him?" Anzu asked. "I mean, with his grandpa gone and all..."

"Don't say that so loud," Honda reminded her. She nodded.

The teacher walked in, placing his briefcase on his desk. Each student took their seat, as the teacher pulled out a book from the desk, opening it. He called a name, one by one, and each student responded.

"Mutou Yugi?" the teacher said, looking up at the sea of students. There was no response. Looking around, he started to mark something in his book when the door slid open. All eyes shifted their gaze towards ajar entrance.

Yugi stood there, panting. "Sorry I'm late," he said, walking up to the teacher's desk. The teen placed a note on the desk. Picking it up, the teacher read it, then nodded for the young boy to sit in his seat.

Walking to his desk, Yugi saw his friends' surprised glances. "I'll tell you guys later," he mouthed. He sat down and pulled out his books as the teacher finished roll call.

* * *

"Your dad!" Yugi's friends exclaimed that lunch period.

"Are you serious?" Jounouchi asked

"Yes," the young boy said. "It's true."

"But your grandpa always told us that your dad was dead," Anzu said.

"That's what I thought, but he told me that he and Grandpa just stopped talking, because Grandpa got mad at him for abandoning me."

"So what's he doing here?" Honda asked.

"He's now acting as my legal guardian."

"Your legal guardian," Jounouchi wondered, remembering his conversation with Yami a few days ago. "Then why don't you look happy? You're not going anywhere, are you?"

"No," the small boy said, "it's just that..."

"What?"

"Well, when he first came over that Saturday morning, he was okay. But that afternoon, he had gone out, and returned with a few dozen bottles of beer."

"Beer?" Bakura asked aloud.

Yugi nodded. "He started drinking a lot that night, and Sunday, too. I don't really understand why, though. It's like he's done that before."

"He probably has," Jounouchi said. "Like my mom says, 'Once addicted, always addicted.' He could have been sober for a while, but he decided to go back to being a drunkard."

"But isn't that kind of dangerous?" Anzu asked. "I mean, drunk people don't really know what they're doing, do they?"

"I don't think so," Honda said. He looked at his small friend. "I'd be careful if I were you, Yugi. You don't know when exactly your dad will be in a bad mood. He could all of a sudden explode for some reason. If you're in the way, who knows what he would do to you?"

Yugi swallowed nervously. That was a good point. A drunk person could get angry so easily, and if he were to be in the way at the wrong time...He shuddered to think what could happen.

He rested his head on the desk. "I don't really need this now," the young teen complained.

"Don't worry about it," Jounouchi said, rubbing the boy's back. "Just avoid him as much as possible when he's drinking."

"But Yugi won't be able to avoid his father forever," Bakura pointed out.

"That's a good point," Anzu said.

"So what am I going to do?" Yugi wondered, his head still on top of the desk.

His friends couldn't answer him. They didn't know.

* * *

The familiar bell chimed as Yugi opened the shop door. It was locked, which it wasn't supposed to be since this was the shop's open hours, but Yugi discovered his father asleep in the den, a bottle of beer in hand. Sighing, the young boy began to clean up the empty bottles of beer that his father already consumed. Entering the kitchen, he placed the empty bottles in the recycle bin, then went to the refrigerator to get a snack. It's contents contained many beer cans and bottles, but amidst them Yugi found something worth eating.

He hurried upstairs to start his homework, closing his bedroom door behind him. He pulled out his school books, a grabbed a pencil off his desk. He scribbled something in his notebook, when the phone rang.

Yugi grabbed the receiver. "Hello?"

"Hey, Yug," a familiar voice said on the other end.

"Hey, Jounouchi. What's up?"

"I don't get the homework. Do you?"

"I just started."

"Oh." They were both silent for a moment, when Jounouchi suddenly said, "So, how's things with your dad so far?"

"He's asleep in the den, which is probably a good thing, since he drank so much beer today."

"Ooo. Um...ya know, if you want to stay...somewhere else...my dad's away on a business trip, and..."

"It's okay, Jounouchi. It'll be okay. I'll be fine."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I am. Don't worry about it."

"Okay. But if you ever want to get away from your dad, my offer is still on the table...at least until my dad comes back."

"Thanks, Jounouchi."

"Well, I guess I better start on that homework. See ya tomorrow, Yug."

"Bye." There was a click on the other end, followed by the dial tone. Yugi replaced the receiver on its cradle, and wrote down more answers in his notebook.

Yugi, maybe you should have accepted Jounouchi's offer. Yami's deep voice startled Yugi a little, since the young boy hadn't heard his counterpart since the weekend.

'Why?'

_**Father shouldn't be taken lightly. Who knows what he could do?**_

'I know. But he's still family, right? Besides, I can't just leave him alone. If he gets really drunk, I should be here to take of him.'

_**I thought the whole point of him being here was so that **__**he would take care of you.**_

'I know. But at least this way, I won't have to go anywhere.'

_**Is it worth it?**_

'Of course it is.'

Yami let it go. What was there to say? As long as Yugi was happy, there was nothing he could do but protect his little light. However, he was still worried about Kenya. What would happen if Kenya tried to hurt the boy? Yugi didn't want his father to know about Yami, so he wouldn't be able to do anything.

Yugi put down his pencil, yawning. He only realized how tired he was. The words in his book blurred, merging together. The small boy rubbed his eyes, but that only blurred his vision more. He rested his head on the desk, falling asleep.

* * *

_**Hikari. Wake up. **_A voice disturbed the young boy's peaceful slumber, as he sat up and stretched.

'What?' Yugi asked his alter ego.

_**You haven't finished your homework, and it's almost time for dinner. What are you going to eat?**_

'I'll just make something. It doesn't matter. And I can finish my homework after dinner.'

_**You've been sleeping for a few hours. I wasn't sure how long you would remain that way.**_

'Well, I guess I was more tired than I thought.'

_**You better start thinking what you're going to have for dinner.**_ The little boy pushed his chair away from the desk, standing up. After stretching his arms more, he exited his room and walked down the steps.

Entering the kitchen, Yugi saw his father at the table, drinking another bottle of beer.

"Dad, don't you think you should stop?" Yugi asked. Kenya didn't seem to be aware of his son's presence. He placed the bottle's opening to his lips, taking another gulp of beer.

"You've had so much. Don't you think that's enough?"

"I'll do as I please," Kenya said roughly, taking another sip.

"But..."

The bottle slammed on the table as Kenya stood up. "Are you telling me what to do?" he asked, his eyes burning angrily at his son.

The gaze seemed to pierce through the small boy as he cowered away. "No, I was just..." Yugi was cut off by his father's hand smacking him hard on his cheek. The force knocked him down onto the floor, as his father stood over him.

Kenya grabbed his son by his hair. "It looks as though I'll have to teach you who's in charge here." Clenching his fist, the adult struck his son in the stomach. He let go, and Yugi fell to his knees, holding his stomach in pain. Booting the small boy in the side, Kenya watched as he skidded across the room, only stopping by impact of the wall.

Yugi cried out. He looked at his father, the tears threatening to pour out. A shocked expression on his father's face was quickly replaced with a hard scowl, and he turned and left.

Leaning on the wall for support, the teen attempted to stand up, but the pain he felt was too great. He sank back onto the ground. As he coughed, he felt the faint, bitter taste of blood in his mouth.

_**Yugi!**_ Yami cried in alarm.

'I'm fine. Don't worry about it.'

**_How can you say that?_**

The younger one simply groaned. It hurt so much. Not so much physically, but the fact that his own father would...He held the tears back, fearing his father might hear him sobbing and return to do more if they broke free.

As quietly as he could, Yugi went back upstairs, no longer remembering about his appetite or his homework. Locking his door, he flung himself on the bed, the tears finally allowed to flow.

* * *

It hurt. It hurt so much. Yugi winced as the cool water was poured over his new blood-filled wound. Only a few days, and already the beatings were becoming a routine.

It hurt so much just to move his arm. His body felt so heavy, so hard to move. Looking down at his arm, his eyes took in the swellings that would fashion into his new bruises.

Feeling his forehead, he looked at his fingers and grimaced at the sight of his own blood. The feel of the thick, hot liquid on his fingers, and the smell of the alcohol his father had spilt on him during the current beating caused his stomach to churn.

He felt something bubble up inside, pushing out against the walls of his abdomen. The substance burned against his insides. He over to the toilet, leaning against the bowl as the bile erupted from within him. The brownish substance spilled into the bowl, as he continued to vomit violently.

He panted hard when he finally finished. It took the last of his strength just to hold out during that. Tired and full of pain, he fell back on the ground, his slight headache worsening as it hit the tiles. His chest heaved slightly. He couldn't move. It hurt too much.

The sound of flushing disrupted the silence washing over him. 'No,' he thought. 'I want it quiet. Please. . . . .'

"Yugi?" a deep, soothing voice called out to him.

Wearily, he opened his eyes to be met with crimson red ones. The color almost reminded him of blood. The color seemed to wash over him, drowning him. He grunted in disgust before painfully turning on his side.

He felt arms secure around him, gently lifting him into the air. "Let's get you to bed, Yugi," Yami said.

"M-my dad might see you," the small boy panted.

"That's just something we'll have to risk."

He heard the door creak open slightly, as Yami made his way to Yugi's room, trying to remain undetected by Kenya. Locking the door after him, the spirit gently placed Yugi on the bed, kneeling on the floor to treat the new cuts and wounds.

"Yugi," Yami said, wiping the blood off of the boy's forehead, "you can't keep this up. Your father is really hurting you. You should see if you can still stay with Jounouchi."

"No," came the soft whisper. Slightly surprised, the dark spirit looked up at Yugi. He was staring up at the ceiling, his eyes wavering with tears. Inhaling deeply, he continued, his voice clearer and bolder. "I'm not leaving my dad."

"I doubt he'll notice if you left, anyway. Please Yugi, you don't know what else he's capable of. He could seriously hurt you."

"I know. But I just can't leave him."

"Yugi. . . . ."

"Despite everything he does, he is still my dad. He's just drinking so much. What if I go, and something happens to him? Dad needs help. I just can't leave him by himself while he's drinking so much, even if it was just a little while."

"Father needs PROFESSIONAL help, Yugi. There's nothing you can do to stop him. You've tried already, and he's done nothing except beat you."

"I know what it's like to be left alone. I won't do that to anyone." The young boy closed his eyes, tears running down his cheeks. "Even if it kills me."

"It just might," Yami retorted. "You can't handle such a harsh beating, Yugi!" He gently wrapped a bandage around the boy's head to stop the bleeding. "But don't worry. He won't hurt you anymore. I'll see to it myself."

"No, Yami."

Yami paused, looking down at the boy. "What do you mean 'no'?"

But the boy didn't open his eyes. "This is my problem, Yami. I need to handle this my way."

"But I can take it better than you can."

"I don't want you getting hurt because of me." His violet orbs finally opened, locking with the crimson ones of the spirit. "I need to do this my way, and I don't want to risk Dad seeing you."

"Yugi. . . . ."

"Please, Yami. Promise me that you won't be involved with this."

"I. . ."

"Please, promise me."

Trapped by the gaze of his young charge, Yami could see the light burning in his eyes. "All right, Yugi," he said. "I promise."

Yugi's gaze softened as he relaxed, nodding contently.

With that settled, Yami got up to reach for the blanket at the foot of the bed. As he did so, he uncrossed his fingers.

* * *

Jounouchi lay down in the cool grass, as his friends sat down next to him. "Finally," he said. "I thought Friday afternoon would never get here."

"I know," Honda said. "It feels like this week went on forever."

"No kidding," Anzu said, looking up at the sky. "Finally we get a little break from school."

Yugi wasn't as excited about the weekend as his friends were. He was glad to be out of school for a few days, but those few days would be spent at home, with his father. He felt a bitter shiver run down his spine.

Jounouchi sat up, removing his school jacket as Honda and Bakura had done. "Hey, Yugi," he said, using his jacket as a pillow, "aren't you hot? Why don't you take off your jacket?"

"What?" Yugi's thoughts returned to the park, to where they were. "Oh, no. I'm fine."

"How can you be?" Honda wondered, fanning himself with his hand. "It's so hot out here."

It was really hot. But Yugi couldn't take it off. If he did, they would see it. "It's not so bad out here," he lied. He was scorching.

"Really?" Bakura asked. "You look hot. Are you sure you don't want to take it off?"

"It's fine," he said quickly. "It's fine."

Anzu looked at him. She had known Yugi for a long time, and she knew when he was lying. She also knew when he was hiding something. The question was, what was it?

Yugi wiped his forehead with the back of his hand. He wanted to take off his jacket, really he did. It was just too hot to keep wearing it.

_**So take it off.**_ Yami said.

'I can't,' he argued. 'You know I can't.'

_**And you know you can't hide those forever. They'll find out eventually.**_

"Yugi?" The small boy looked up at his female friend. "What are you trying to hide from us? Why won't you tell us what's wrong?"

'So she knows,' he thought. 'Anzu knows that I'm hiding something. I should have suspected as much. I guess there's no point of hiding it anymore'. Jounouchi sat up as the young boy slowly peeled away his school jacket. When it finally came off, they all gasped.

Across his arms were many small, purplish blemishes. He looked away from their wondering gazes.

"What happened?" Honda asked.

Yugi couldn't answer. He didn't want to. He felt as if a lump in his throat was preventing him from saying anything.

"Was this...your father?" Bakura queried. The boy looked at him, then looked away awkwardly. It confirmed their suspicions.

"Yug," Jounouchi said, "you can't let him do this."

"What am I supposed to do?" he asked. "If I try to stand up to him, he'll only do something worse. Besides, it doesn't really matter."

"What do you mean it doesn't really matter?" Anzu exclaimed. "Look at your arms, Yugi! Open your eyes! How can you say it 'doesn't really matter'?"

"It's better than going away," he responded. "It's better leaving all of you, wondering if I'll ever return. This is just a small price to pay. It hurts, yes, but being able to be with you all is worth it. These," he said, pointing to the bruises on his arms, "they'll eventually heal. As long as I'm with you guys, everything's okay."

They all looked at each other, then at the small boy. Yugi wiped a tear away, laughing slightly. "Things will get better, you guys," he added, "I'm sure of it."

"I hope so, Yugi," Jounouchi said. "For your sake."

* * *

Entering the kitchen, Yugi wasn't surprised that his father was sitting at the table again, drinking beer, as he sometimes was when the young teen arrived home from school. Kenya was jotting down some notes on a piece of paper, stopping only every once in a while to sip some beer. At first, the small boy didn't think his father even noticed his return. After dropping his backpack in his room, he went back to the kitchen to find a snack when his father asked him, "How much money do you have?"

Yugi looked over at him. "I don't have any money," he replied. "If I ever needed any, Grandpa usually gave it to me."

"No savings account? Trust fund?"

The boy shook his head. "Grandpa usually handled all the money we had. Why?"

He received no answer. Kenya just rubbed his forehead. Rising, he turned to face his son, when a small light glittered in his eyes as the sunlight from the window entered, bouncing off the golden pyramid hanging down Yugi's neck.

"What's that?" he asked, pointing to the golden artifact.

Yugi looked at where his father was indicating. "This is a puzzle that Grandpa gave to me when I was little."

"Yeah? How much do you think that's worth?"

The small boy looked up at him. "What? You don't mean to sell it, do you?"

"So what if I did?" Kenya shot back. "What are you going to do about it?"

He clutched the Millennium Puzzle protectively. "You can't," he protested.

"I can, and I will." Kenya made a grab for it, but Yugi pulled it out of his reach. Angered, he grabbed the younger's arm and pulled the puzzle over his head, harshly tossing his son aside.

Yugi sprang to his feet, grabbing the Millennium Puzzle from his father. They both tugged on it, but the minor was finally able to yank it out of his father's grasp. Kenya wrapped his hand around the boy's neck, suspending him in the air. Struggling for air, tears streamed down the teen's face. With his free hand, the adult punched his son in the stomach repeatedly, each time the young boy cried out. He felt the taste of blood in his mouth again, but so much more than before.

Kenya ceased his assault, flinging his son across the room. The small teen smashed into the opposite wall, falling limply to the ground. When he didn't move, the father took a step forward, intending to take the Millennium Puzzle.

Suddenly, a light shown from the center of the puzzle, filling the whole room with illumination. He shielded his eyes from the glow. When it decreased, he looked to see a taller version of his son, standing in front of the small child. His hair was similar to the boy's, but golden streaks ran through the black and crimson. Though the same color, this being's eyes were different from the child's, more confident and mature. He fixed his eyes on Kenya, piercing his very soul.

"Who the hell are you?" Kenya demanded.

The being simply peered over his shoulder, looking at the unconscious form of his counterpart. "I'm sorry, Hikari," he said, "but I can't just sit idly by anymore." His gaze returned to the father. "You should be ashamed of yourself," he snapped. "You have no right to call yourself his father."

"What are you talking about?"

"Is this anyway a father should treat his son?" Yami asked, pointing to the boy. "Is it right, just because you're older than he, that you can beat him?"

Kenya looked at the being, then at his son on the floor. A new feeling swelled up inside him.

"Open your eyes," Yami said, his tone calmer, "and your heart." A third eye appeared on the spirit's forehead, and Kenya felt something inside of him, like a part of his soul, break away from him, shattering forever. He felt different, lighter, as if many weights have been lifted off his shoulders.

The third eye disappeared, and Yami bent down to pick up the child. Kenya followed the spirit up the stairs, and watched as he laid Yugi in his bed. Placing the Millennium Puzzle on the nightstand, he covered the frail boy's body with a blanket.

"I guess I wouldn't really blame Yugi for hating me now," Kenya said, breaking the loud silence.

Yami looked at him, surprised. "Hate you?" he asked, sounding almost offended. "Is that what you think? That Yugi hates you?"

The father looked at him, and Yami could see in his eyes that he didn't know what he was talking about. "He never hated you," he said. "That's why he remained here, even when you threatened and beaten him, he remained to make sure you would be all right."

"What do you mean?"

"You drank so much, he was afraid that something would happen to you, and he decided to remain here just in case of that. He wouldn't have done so if he hated you, would he?"

The Millennium Puzzle blazed with light once again, but this time Kenya watched as Yami disappeared inside it.

* * *

The morning sun entered the room, cutting through the darkness, shining in Yugi's eyes. Moaning, he sat up, but his head began to throb. He rubbed the back of his head, wondering how he got in his bedroom. Pushing away the sheets, he slid out of bed and went downstairs into the kitchen. Kenya stood at the sink, draining every last drop of beer.

The young boy attempted to sneak away quietly, but his father noticed him before he could. "Yugi," he called.

Yugi froze in his tracks. Turning around, he said, "Yes, Dad?"

"Sit down, son. We need to talk." Nervously, the small teen sat down at the dining table. His father rinsed the sink, then joined his son at the table. He inhaled deeply, as if trying to find the right words to say.

"I loved your mother very much, Yugi," he began, unsure of where else to start, "and when she died, I felt as though a part of me died with her. After leaving you with your grandfather, I left, and started drinking, just as much as you've seen me do here. I drank so much, I had to get help at a rehabilitation center. They helped me, really they did.

"When I heard about Dad's death, I knew I had the responsibility of taking care of you. But that day, when I saw you for the first time in fourteen years, you reminded me so much of your mother, especially your eyes. It drove me back to my old habit of drinking, and I just couldn't control what happened to me."

"You were pouring all that beer down the drain," Yugi interrupted. "Why?"

"Yesterday, something happened to me, and I'm not sure how to explain it. But it helped me overcome my compulsive drinking."

Slipping out of his chair, Kenya knelt down on the floor in front of his son. "Yugi," he said, "what I did wasn't right, and it wasn't forgivable. But from now on, I'm going to try to be a better father to you, and I just hope that someday, you can try to forgive me."

Yugi jumped into his father's arms, wrapping his arms around Kenya's neck. "I already have, Dad," he said.

Startled, Kenya could only respond by returning his son's embrace. That day, both of their injuries, physical or emotion, finally began to heal.

**The End**


End file.
